Adding second pressurized well tank

I tried multiple searches and haven't found a solid answer to my question, so I aplogize in advance if this has been asked/answered before!

since this past summer (when I ran over the well head with a bush hog...oops!) we've had issues with our water pressure. I called the well installer, had him come out and fix the damage, and figured that would be that.

Less than a month later, I had him back out due to pressure problems. He replaced the switch and expected that to fix the intermittent problem. A week later, his guys were back out, replacing the switch again. The pressure tank was drained and repressurized/tested each of these times.

As soon as winter got underway, we began having problems with pressure again. Called the well guy again, and this time he said the pump must be failing. The well was installed in the summer of 2004...seems a little soon, but okay. He brought the rig out, pullled the pump up, then tested it just to make sure it wasn't working properly. Of course, the pump performed extremely well, with more than adequate gpm. So, back into the well went the pump.

The current theory is that the buried pressure tank is the culprit, and so, when we experience a drop in pressure, we add air to the tank, buying us several more weeks of good pressure.

To alleviate the need to regularly add air to the tank, the well installer told us to buy a second pressure tank and attach it to our frost free hydrant that is located in a heated room in our barn. He made it sound very simple and straightforward: run an intake line from the hydrant to the tank, and attach a spigot to the tank to obtain water from that point. We have another frost free hydrant that is about 200 feet from the well, and from what I understand, the second pressure tank will serve the entire system, including the remote hydrant.

The pressure switch is currently outside by the well--would this need to be moved to the indoor location with the new pressure tank, or can it remain where it is?

How does this whole plan sound? I feel like I'm missing something, that it can't be as simple as he explained.

Why on earth do you have a buried tank when it could have been installed in a heated room to begin with. And why is there a frost free hydrant in a heated room? Burying something as important as a tank is beyond me. It's a component that you need easy access to when it fails. They should have known that when a pressure switch fails its usually due to rapid cycling caused by a bad tank. I say dig up the tank, remove it, and get the new tank in an accessible spot like the heated room.You could install it off that hydrant line. You will have to install the switch where the new tank is which means running an electrical line from the breaker to the switch and from the switch to the well. Is the breaker for the well in the barn or in your house?

Hey all,
I am new to the site and just wanted to followup on this one. I have had 2 pressure tanks installed in my system since we moved in the house and have alwasy wondered if there is a need or even a way to make sure they were balanced if needed? Is there any advantage to having 2? We jsut used it since it was there. I have one right after my aerator (fla water yumm yumm) and then a smaller original tank upstream after my softener. Any comments,suggestion are appreciated. I am about to start a total replumb and try to get adequate filtering of my sulfured, high mineral, probably bacterail laden well.. Yes it is a very old fla cracker house with a shallow well.
thanks for any comments.
robb

You never have a holding tank installed after a water softening unit. Replumbed the system and have all the water treatment on the discharge of your holding tank. I don't see a need for 2 tanks when you can have 1 tank with same equivalency as 2. It's easier to maintain 1 tank than 2. You could also look into a CSV and go with a smaller size holding tank.

I'm curious about where in Florida. I also have sulphur here in the Tampa area. I handle it with a pressurized system that we kind of developed ourselves. It works very nicely but gets the bacteria out of the equasion. Aerators are famous for breeding all sorts of bugs.

Shallow wells like 25' or less can be something of a larger problem than just the sulphur and iron. There is the runoff of farmland, stockyards etc. Here in my area I refuse to treat that water as it's just too nasty in my opinion for human consumtion and installing iron filters and water softeners (which they don't need anyway but are sold just the same) won't cure the problems.

Hey all,
I am new to the site and just wanted to followup on this one. I have had 2 pressure tanks installed in my system since we moved in the house and have alwasy wondered if there is a need or even a way to make sure they were balanced if needed? Is there any advantage to having 2? We jsut used it since it was there. I have one right after my aerator (fla water yumm yumm) and then a smaller original tank upstream after my softener. Any comments,suggestion are appreciated. I am about to start a total replumb and try to get adequate filtering of my sulfured, high mineral, probably bacterail laden well.. Yes it is a very old fla cracker house with a shallow well.
thanks for any comments.
robb

Click to expand...

You have two pressure tanks because of your aeration system IF the aerator is a spray head type which uses an atmospheric storage tank. The first one after the well is for the well pump and the other is used to pressurize the water from your aerator for your softener and then the house.

No aeration system controls any type of bacteria and actually can make some types of bacteria flourish. To control any type of bacteria you need a disinfectant like chlorine, ozone or in some cases hydrogen peroxide (to kill the little buggers).

If your aerator is pressurized (a sealed full tank) then I have no idea why you have two pressure tanks. So in detail describe your system from the well to the house listing and describing everything in order.

Hi, thanks for the replies. Our water system evolved as we built our barn. The buried tank was supposed to be temporary, because at the time we did not have a heated room to put it in. Same with the frost-free hydrant. We built the insulated room around the hydrant, then added heat basically for the cats' comfort during the winter.

The plan was to build a house, move the pressure tank into the house, and discontinue using the buried tank...that plan is on hold (thanks, economy.. )

Mid-winter is not a great time to dig up the system, so the second tank is intended to bridge the months until spring when we can redo the system the right way. Realistically, we probably have a few years now before we build a house, so I don't mind moving the pressure tank into the barn.

I understand the concern about the pump handle remaining in the "on" position, but I think I can prevent inadvertent closing of that hydrant.

Also understanding that this isn't the optimal set up, but considering that my goal is to maintain water pressure in my system throughout this winter (think, until May), would this work?

The tank off the hydrant will work for now but i would be concerned about the pressure switch and where it is located. It should be mounted directly in front of the tank to prevent chattering(pump turning on and off). I would get an electrician to run a new wire from the well breaker,over to where the new tank will be,then run an electrical line back to feed the line going to the well. Hard wire where the switch is now.